A Tangled Cinderella Story
by susan friedman
Summary: What if Gothel never made it to the tower with Rapunzel? What if the baby was found and returned to the King and Queen? This story explores that possibility. Chapter 21 up now. Thanks to all for their support. Complete.
1. Chapter 1

A Tangled Cinderella Story

Prologue

It was a clear, chilly morning as the young boy crawled out the open window and slid down the tied up bed sheets to the sidewalk below. He was flushed with excitement and anticipation as he searched the street for a direction to go. Nothing was on the street; it was empty at 4 and still dark, but he was determined to get away from the orphanage as quickly as he could.

It was then he heard a commotion; a scuffle in the street and he heard what sounded like a little baby's cry. He grabbed and pulled the sheets out of the window and ran like the wind toward the sound.

What he found there was strange. A woman with a wild mane of long black hair lay in the cobblestone street, unconscious. Beside her was a tiny bundle wrapped up in a pink blanket. The minute he picked it up, the crying stopped. Inside, he found a tiny baby girl with long blonde hair and the largest green eyes he'd ever seen.

He looked up. He hadn't realized that he was right outside the castle gates, but that's probably where she was coming from.

But then again, you never know what people would be up to.

The boy didn't know what to make of it, the woman didn't look as if she was moving or breathing at all. He bent down to try and rouse her, but she wasn't budging. Not wasting any more time, he picked up the baby and held her in his arms. She looked up at him, gurgled and smiled. He smiled back at her. There was something about this baby, something special, but he didn't know*what it was or why he felt this way.

A scream split the night. The boy looked up and in the direction from where it came from. Quickly, he retreated behind a behind a large, fat tree. From his vantage point, he was able to make out a young woman out on the porch and he could hear her crying. Just then, a man emerged and held her in his arms, whispered in her ear and pulled her toward him. He assumed that it was the King and Queen, but he just wasn't sure. He looked down at the baby again.

He watched as another man joined the couple on the porch. He saw the man nod and saw him run back inside.

Then he watched the castle gates open and noticed five men from the Royal Guardsmen run out into the street. The four snapped to attention as the fifth barked out their orders.

Nodding, the four split up with the fifth still standing in front, not sure which way to go.

The boy looked back at the baby, and then realized that this must be what they were looking for. Quickly, he stepped out from behind the tree and bravely marched up to the fifth guardsman, still unsure of himself.

"Excuse me," the boy said and he held up the little bundle. He pushed it toward the guards. "Is this what you're looking for?"

The Guard took the bundle out of the boy's hands. He unwrapped the blanket and found the little princess safe and sound inside. She had been quiet all along, but now upon seeing a different face, began to cry again.

The Guard couldn't get her to stop no matter how hard he tried.

"Where did you find her? How did you…" but his words trailed off.

The little boy had disappeared.

XXXXX

The boy ran. He didn't want to be found out. He didn't want them to know he had escaped the orphanage this night. It seemed that the guards weren't interested in him, however, so he slowed down. He hid behind a tree, waited and watched. It was the woman that he had found laying the street that they were after. He watched as two guardsmen lifted her unconscious body off the street. He watched as they tried to rouse her, just as he did, but she didn't move.

The boy felt a sneeze coming on and tried to block it, but it didn't work. He sneezed anyway. Unfortunately, the guards carrying the unconscious woman heard him and stared in the direction it came from.

The boy didn't waste any time. He darted from behind the tree and disappeared into the night.

In the morning, he found a discarded paper on the street. He picked it up to read. It made mention of a Mother Gothel, the dead woman they found on the street earlier this morning. The King and Queen identified her as the one who kidnapped their little baby girl. They also made mention of a brave young boy who returned the child to the Captain of the Guard, but he was nowhere to be found. They had searched high and low, but he had disappeared into thin air.

The paper also made mention of a young boy who was missing from the orphanage and hadn't returned as of yet. Search parties were on the lookout for the little boy as well. So far as he knew, they hadn't connected the two, but he couldn't be sure and didn't want to take any chances.

And so the boy, Eugene Fitzherbert by name, decided there was only one thing to do and that was change his name and disappear altogether. He had to remember that from now on he was only to go by the name of his dashing swashbuckling hero, Flynn Rider.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 1

Eugene had never imagined that he would be famous, that his name would be known in the entire kingdom of Corona and beyond. Whenever and wherever he was spotted, people craned their necks to have a peak. They were gossiping and whispering everywhere he went, so much so that he was hounded and chased. His likeness was all over the village and its outskirts making him the most sought after person in the entire kingdom.

But they just couldn't get his nose right.

Well, it didn't really matter, did it? They still knew who he was and they were still after him. He was the handsomest thief in Corona. The woman loved him and the men wanted to get their hands on him. Something just was right about all this. It was unfair wasn't it?

But what did he expect after all? He used his wiles to get what he wanted and it had worked as if by magic.

And now he was headed for the tower. It was the old water tower deep in the forest that he discovered not too long after he handed the princess back to the Captain of the Guards. Eugene shook his head. He was only 8 years old when he discovered the witch's body outside the castle gates. They dragged her into the castle just long enough for the King to identify her. No matter what she had done, the King wanted to give her a proper burial, but not before the court physician could determine her cause of death. After all, she was a witch wasn't she?

But something strange happened after they dropped her off. Gothel's body started to age; her hair turned snow white and her skin grew wrinkled until she shriveled up into nothing. By the time, the court physician returned to perform his examination, she was gone leaving nothing but her cloak and a pile of dust.

No one could ever figure out what happened.

Eugene turned, losing his train of thought. What did all that matter now? That was then; this was now and they were after him. He ran into his hiding place, a cave covered by a curtain of vines. That's where he always lost them, it was as if he'd disappeared into thin air.

Eugene ran for tower. He looked to see if the rope was still dangling from the window and luckily it was. He smiled as he quickly climbed up to the open window and crawled inside pulling the rope in after him.

When he first got here, he couldn't believe that the place was already set up. Why, it looked as if someone had planned to live there. It was already furnished and set up to accommodate two people. It was the perfect hideout.

Eugene had set up house in here, at first by himself; later on the Stabbington Brothers joined him. How long ago was that now? He couldn't remember. All he knew was that he was 26 years old and a lot of time had passed by. He had been out his own for a long time. Right after he returned the baby, he ran into the woods with nowhere to go. Exhausted, hungry and wet from a raging rainstorm, he sought refuge in a barn that had seen better days. He thought the place was deserted until he woke the next morning and found an old woman smiling down at him.

She thanked her lucky stars that a boy had been sent to help her and she raised him as her long lost nephew. By then he was going by Flynn Rider, never giving away his true identity. She needed help on the farm and asked if he would help out. She would pay him and he accepted. Eugene wasn't a fool; as much as he hated it, he stayed where he was. When he was 16, Elvira, the old woman who had taken him in, visited the local bank where she deposited his coins. She told him when she returned that the money would grow with interest and he would be rich someday.

Eugene continued to help Elvira at home and tended to her friendly white horse, Maximus. The two had become quite friendly and would do anything for Eugene, if he asked. With Elvira's permission and after his chores, he would take Max for a daily workout. When they returned she would have dinner ready. After dinner, he would help Elvira with the dishes and clean up the kitchen while she went to bed. He would read a little from The Adventures of Flynnagan Rider, always dreaming of a better life and what that money would do for him.

But today, she hadn't come to call him for dinner. Eugene waited but she was later than usual. He rushed into the house, calling for her, but there was no answer. Finally, he found her in the kitchen on the floor; her breathing shallow. He said he'd take Max and go for help, but she did want that. She kept saying she was an old woman and her time had come. All she wanted now was to be at peace and he abided by her wishes.

Eugene buried her on the farm and marked her grave with a small cross. He was 18 and wandered off into the woods again. That's when he remembered that tower. He had passed it by wanting to get out of village as quickly as he could.

He was lucky to have found it again after all these years and even luckier that no one had taken up residence inside.

And so he had lived here for 8 years of his life, 2 of them alone before the Stabbingtons showed up looking for shelter.

He had forgotten all about the money that Elvira placed in the bank and began his new life as a thief. The three of them made a great team and they even had a stash, well enough for the three to retire. But it was in Eugene's blood and he kept going. After all, he wasn't caught, not yet and he was enjoying this.

And so Eugene was content. Everything was in order and in its place.

He just wasn't prepared for what was about to happen next.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

The King was worried. His daughter was turning 18 in a month and it was time for her to get married. He had plenty of suitors lined up, three alone from the Four Kingdoms. But Rapunzel didn't seem to be interested. She was preoccupied with that thief, Flynn Rider. She painted his portrait every free moment she had and she decorated every wall in the place with it. She just couldn't get him out of her head. After she had painted the audience chamber with his likeness, he confined her to a room of her own, a studio as he called it, where she could paint to her heart's content.

The King didn't know whether he should sit down and have a talk with her about this or just force her to marry the boy of his choosing. They had already been wrong about so many things.

Rapunzel's blond hair had become much too long and against the Queen's advice, they had cut it. It had turned brown after that, as his wife had told him it would, but it continued to grow, despite rumors that it would not. Rapunzel had powers that no one else had, which is why that witch kidnapped her in the first place.

Thank the Lord that a small boy had found her and returned her to her proper place in the world. Gothel's family and his had fought for the crown as long as he could remember. Gothel herself proclaimed that she would had found a way to live forever just to take his family down. They were the rightful heirs to the throne and Gothel would see to it that the imposters would be as miserable as her family had been. She kidnapped little Rapunzel intending to use her as bait. No one had known about the child's magical powers until Gothel picked up the child. It was as if the infant knew something of magic because Gothel, to her shock and surprise, lost of all her magic. She attempted escape anyway, which was to no avail. She climbed down a garden trestle which hung below the Princess' window. It had never been secured to the wall however and toppled over like dominoes as Gothel tried to climb down.

The collapsed trestle lay in the garden for two days before anyone figured out her escape. It was also how they learned of Rapunzel's power in the first place.

The magic golden flower of the sun had bestowed upon the Royal family a gift that could not be ignored. It had healed the Queen and had given her powers beyond reason and the same could be said for Rapunzel. They weren't exactly sure how to use that power, that's all and to this day, they still weren't sure. The only one who had known was Gothel and she was long gone.

And as far as the King knew, there were no living relatives.

He heard a soft rapping at his study door and looked upward. "Come in," he said as the door opened, revealing his wife and his daughter.

The King smiled and motioned for them to take seats opposite his desk.

"Has your mother spoken to you, Rapunzel?" the King asked.

Rapunzel nodded her head. "Yes, she has, Father," was all she said.

The King looked over at his wife, then returned his gaze to her. "And what's the verdict?"

Rapunzel turned toward her mother. She was a little reluctant to answer.

"She doesn't want to be forced into marriage," the Queen said. "She would like to choose from all the eligible bachelors of the Four Kingdoms, royalty or not."

The King nodded and turned his attention back to Rapunzel. "And I suppose that includes the wanted thief?"

The Queen nodded. "I'm afraid it does, Sire," she answered. "I have already given my permission and blessing. I was hoping that you would agree."

The King kept his eyes on his daughter. They were thoughtful eyes, not angry ones. He did love his Rapunzel after all and felt that they were lucky to have her.

"I want to speak with your mother about this in private, if that's okay with you, but as of now, you have my both my permission and blessing. We'll invite every suitable bachelor so that you can have your pick. We only want what's best for you, Rapunzel. You do understand that, don't you?"

Rapunzel smiled and nodded her head. "Thank you, Father," she answered and kissed him on the cheek. "That does include Flynn Rider, doesn't it?"

"Unless he marries before your birthday, I'm sure that he'll be there," the King answered, smiling.

"That's all I wanted to know, Father," she answered, smiling. She practically glided out of the study door.

The King watched her leave then turned to her mother. "What's with that Flynn Rider anyway? She's got his likeness in almost every room in the castle?"

The Queen nodded. "And now it's all over her studio. Maybe there is something about that boy, my lord. I've often wondered if he was the one who saved her."

The King laughed and shook his head. "Oh, come now. You really think that's it? That she remembers who rescued her?"

The Queen nodded. "Stranger things have happened, my husband. Maybe we really should give him the benefit of the doubt."

The King thought a moment. "You think I should trust this Flynn Rider? I mean, he's a thief after all."

The Queen shrugged. "Don't judge a book by its cover. He might surprise you.

The King smiled. "Well, alright. We shall see what happens. Right now he's invited. Besides, you've been right about everything else lately. In this case, I'll trust your judgment."

The Queen smiled. "It's nice of you to agree with me, my lord." She stood up to go. "I'll go tell Rapunzel right away." She started for the door, then turned.

"Maybe we should have him over before Rapunzel's birthday, let them get to know each other and maybe we can get to know him."

She smiled again, then opened the door and closed it behind her leaving the King to think about her words. He shook his head and smiled, still staring at the closed door, long after the Queen had left.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

She moved quickly through the maze of cobblestone streets desperate to arrive on time. She'd always been late and he'd always laugh and make some kind of joke about it. They'd been seeing each other on and off for almost a year now. It was a miracle that no one knew, no one had caught her.

The two of them had met when she was on her daily ride. She never went the same way twice and this time she was headed towards the woods. There was a waterfall there that she loved to sit by and read most of the afternoons. She had known about the tower and she'd been up there a thousand times in the past, no one there to bother her. It had started to rain and she ran for it, uncovering the stones to the entrance. She made her way up the stairs and into the round room. The entire place was a mess. Someone was actually living here!

She pushed open the only window to let some light inside and set to work cleaning the place. She didn't how long she was at it when a male voice interrupted her thoughts.

"And who might you be?"

She turned around at the sound, dropping whatever she had in her tiny hands.

The two of them stared at each other.

"It's you," they both said.

They talked all that day until the rain stopped and then he asked if he could take her home, but she refused. She'd be fine, she'd say.

They met in different spots from then on, but had to be careful so as not to get caught. It just wasn't good if they were spotted together, not just yet.

And so tonight she ran, the only thing that ran through her mind except being in his arms and staring into his big brown eyes.

"Hey, beautiful, did you remember to bring it this time?"

She turned to face him, the two staring at one another. If only they could do what they'd been planning, if only they could run away and just be together, even for one perfect second. But there were duties and obligations to fulfill, some on his side as well. After all, he wasn't what she had thought he was, at least he told her he wasn't.

The posters were wrong. That wasn't him, that someone just looked like him. Couldn't she see the differences between him and his dead brother?

She nodded and handed him the invitation.

"The party is set for 7:30. I'm hoping that you'll be there before then. We'll need to get some things straightened out…"

"Same here, Megan," he whispered taking her hand in his. "By the way, how is our Princess?"

Rapunzel smiled. She'd been going on with this charade for almost a year. Could she really tell him who she was?

"Don't worry, Fitz," she answered. "She's fine as usual. She's a little anxious about this party, but I think she'll be expecting you to show up. And please, don't forget to bring Flynn Rider with you. There's an invite for him as well."

He smiled and grabbed her around the waist. "You know, he's a wanted thief, but he's considering going straight if the right woman came along."

She smiled, kissed him lightly on the lips and pulled apart from his grasp. "The princess has been trying to convince her parents about that one. She told me that just this morning." She frowned. "You saw him?"

He nodded. "I know where he is, Meg. Don't you worry; I'll get word to him."

"Is he living in that tower?" Rapunzel asked, knowing she wouldn't get an answer. He'd skirt the question again, just the way he always did.

"No one's in that tower, love," he said, hoping that she'd believe him, "not really."

It was half true, Eugene and the Stabbington's moved around from place to place, he still kept an eye on the farm from time to time, especially when they needed food. He was trying his hardest to reform, but the twins had kept coming up with wonderful quick rich schemes, it was really hard to stop.

And he didn't want to share what he had saved with anyone else.

The clock in St. Basil's struck midnight. Had she been gone that long?

"I've got to go," she said, giving him a peck on the cheek. She started to back away.

Eugene smiled. "Tomorrow afternoon, right?"

Rapunzel nodded. "Yes, by the waterfall as usual." She blew a kiss in his direction and turned to run.

"Hey, maybe you can bring Rapunzel with you tomorrow. It would be nice to see her …." Eugene stopped mid sentence as she turned toward him again.

She frowned. "What did you say, Fitz?"

"No nothing," Eugene said, "I was just thinking out loud."

She smiled, not pursuing the subject anymore. "Alright, see you tomorrow."

She ran back to the castle just as fast as her feet could take her, looking behind to see if anyone was following. Thank the Lord he wasn't.

But she couldn't get his statement out of her mind. When and where did they meet before or had they ever? And why was he always asking about the princess?

And why was she so attracted to him? Why was she constantly painting his likeness all over the castle?

XXXX

Eugene smiled as he watched her sprint off. He shook his head. He wasn't sure. They'd been seeing each other nearly a year. Megan had the softest brown hair he'd ever touched, but it was those big green eyes that got him. They reminded him of the way the princess looked up at him when she was little. They were almost the same. In fact, when he first met her at the tower, he could have sworn it was the princess staring back at him.

It took Eugene only a second to realize that it couldn't be her at all. She had blond hair, right? And when he asked her name, she'd told him it was Megan, no hesitation there. She swore that she worked for the princess and only had little snatches of time here and there to do things. He didn't know if she was lying or not, but he couldn't fault her.

He lied about who he was himself and he didn't even know why.

He clutched the two invitations in his hand and smiled. He guessed he'd find out the truth at Rapunzel's party. And of course, he'd have to bring Flynn Rider.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 4

Elvira Fitzherbert Whittington stared out across the heavens. She couldn't ever imagine seeing something so beautiful in all her years. Maybe that's why Mr. Starz had this beautiful window situated in his office. This was where he could keep an eye out for all those souls who hadn't yet made the journey up here. Heaven was truly a lovely place after all.

It wasn't the first time she had been here. It was more like the eighth or ninth now and it always involved the same thing; namely Eugene Fitzherbert, aka Flynn Rider, the wanted thief. Mr. Starz always gave her the same speech; simply that he needed a miracle. Her grandson was thieving again and it had to stop. After all, the Keeper of Heaven didn't send an orphan boy her way to end up like this, did he? She would need to go back down there and reform him; teach him the error of his ways. You know, sort of like a guardian angel.

Or maybe like in Cinderella, she corrected him. You know, like a fairy godmother? After all Cinderella had been her favorite fairy tale.

Mr. Starz had stared at her as if she was crazy. There were no fairy godmothers in Heaven he told her shaking his head. Angels, Elvira, guardian angels. She shrugged her shoulders. No matter what the position was called, she wouldn't do it. How would it work, was she really ready for all this responsibility? She told him no and walked out of the office every time he brought it up. Now she was starting to feel guilty. She thought she raised this boy differently. Didn't he remember about the bank? Didn't he remember his promise to her; that he could make something of himself; that he didn't have to rob and steal? Why she already felt guilty that she hadn't come forward to take care of the boy in the first place.

Was it her pride or had she'd been so ashamed because her husband had been a thief as well? She hadn't known anything about it, not until she read in the local papers that he had been killed running away from the authorities. It had been 10 years since Samuel walked out her. Her 14 year old son, William, left her 2 weeks later to join the Royal Guards. She'd never seen him again after that, learning from an article in the paper that the new Captain of the Guards, William Fitzherbert had married the Queen's Lady in Waiting, Elizabeth. She threw the paper down in disgust and cried herself to sleep. She saw the baby announcement in the paper so she knew they had a son. She had even been brave enough to ride to the castle so she could at least have a small peak at what her grandson looked like.

By this time, she had married again, this time to a local handyman named Thomas Whittington. The two lonely souls struck up a friendship and married two months later. He died of pneumonia 2 years later, leaving her alone again to take care of the farm. This time though, Tom left her enough money to live on. She was always afraid to tell Tom about her former life, much less about her children who never came to visit.

Elvira was lucky enough to see her son and daughter in law from a distance playing with 2 year old Eugene right on the castle lawn. Even then he was handsome and looked just like his father. She wanted so badly to rush over there and say hello, but she hadn't the heart to do it. She wasn't sure how long she was there when she saw William pick up his head and stared in her direction. The smile on his face turned to a frown as he narrowed his eyes, trying to make out just who it was staring his family.

Elvira should have looked away, but didn't, hoping against hope a miracle would happen. She wanted him to run over to him and show off his family, but it never happened. All he did was stand up and motion to his wife and son to stand up with him. With one last look at his mother, he ushered his family back to the safety of the castle walls.

With tears in her eyes, she made her way back to the farm and never went near the castle again. A year later she read that Captain William Fitzherbert and his wife, Elizabeth died of pneumonia. The son, Eugene had survived and that they were looking around for a relative to leave him with.

Elvira never came forward to claim him. It wasn't until she caught the 8 year old asleep in her barn that she even put two and two together. Even though he went by the name of Flynn Rider, there was no mistaking that face, the same sweet face as her son, William. She couldn't bear the thought of returning him to the orphanage, so she made up her mind. She would finally forgive her son and raise Eugene as her own, never letting on who she really was. He helped her out and even paid him for his services, although he'd put up a fuss. She made him take that money to the bank and put it in; making sure that he took care of his future. When he wouldn't do it, she did it herself.

She had known she wouldn't live forever and now here she was, waiting for Mr. Starz to show up and lecture her again. No, she said, shaking her head, not this time. This time she would accept his proposal and become Eugene's guardian angel or fairy godmother or whatever it was she was supposed to be.

It was then the door opened and Mr. Starz entered the room. He closed the door behind him and headed toward his desk. Elvira turned around and watched as he sat down. She leaned over his desk, placing her hands on the polished wood. She waited until the Keeper of Heaven picked up his head and looked her in the eye.

"Yes, I'll do it," Elvira said, before he could open his mouth. She smiled and straightened up, then turned and headed for the door. It wasn't until she closed it behind her that Mr. Starz stood up. He walked to the window and watched as she spread her newly formed wings and took off towards Earth.

"Good girl," he said, watching her disappear from his view. He would do what he promised though. He'd keep an eye on both of them. This time, he'd make sure everything would go smoothly this time around.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 5

The young boy smiled as he held his newly delivered invitation in his hand. This was it, what he was waiting for.

"The King and Queen of Corona request your attendance at a Masked Ball given in honor of Princess Rapunzel."

At first, he couldn't believe his luck. Here he was, a common thief being invited to a masked ball.

Well, he wasn't a professional thief, but a clever one, using disguises every now and then to get what he wanted.

And it did help that he looked a bit like Flynn Rider or was that Eugene Fitzherbert, the little orphan boy he was always mistaken for.

Oh, there were differences but no one could really spot them. It was little things like the eyes and the nose that were somewhat off; maybe that's why all those wanted posters were off from time to time.

Also no one knew that he was sneaking out to meet Rapunzel almost every other night either, not even Rapunzel herself. And it was even better that he'd be wearing a mask.

But no one would notice them the night of the ball which was only two weeks away now.

He didn't really after the Princess so much as getting what he and his family deserved, the crown that was rightfully theirs to begin with, especially by Coronian law. True, it wasn't written anywhere, but he and his family were living on the land when the King and Queen arrived. The magic golden flower belonged to them, not to the Royal family.

He never blamed his ancestor for doing what she did. It was in her best interests to horde the flower and used it for her own purposes. No one thought that she'd ever get punished for what she had done. He hoped against hope that the curse the Gothel family carried didn't extend to him, although he had watched every member of his family fall to tragedy. He was the only one left.

Well, he was the last survivor in the family but no one knew it. His last name wasn't Gothel because his mother married a rather prominent figure in society. He was someone who was rich and famous; namely because a children's book bore his name on the cover.

And that name was Flynnagan Rider.

XXXXX

Eye Patch found the two invitations that Rapunzel had handed Eugene the night before. They had been carelessly thrown into a corner, buried into a pile of Eugene's unwashed clothes. Without a word, he handed them to his brother.

"Well, look what we have here," Sideburns said, clutching the invitations in his hand. He turned to his brother who was smiling brightly. "We're eligible bachelors aren't we?"

Eye Patch returned the smile and nodded his head.

"We're not really after the Princess though, are we?"

Sideburns stopped smiling and stared at him. "You know what we're after, brother and it's not the girl."

"What about Eugene?"

"What about him? He's in love with Rapunzel. We've got other business to take care of."

"Did you ever think that there might be more than one thief out there?" Eye Patch asked. "Did you ever think that we might be caught? Did you ever think…"

Sideburns silenced him and shook his head. "I've got a plan, brother and it involves someone else. The three of us will have everything we've ever wanted and poor little Eugene will never become Prince."

Eye Patch looked at him curiously. "We have all the money we could possibly want right now. Eugene promised to split the whole thing with us when the time came."

Sideburns smiled again. "Just because the little orphan boy wants to go straight, doesn't mean we have to. I've got another scheme in the works and I'm sure that it will work."

Well, at least Sideburns hoped it would work. It was Eugene's plans that worked, never his. Well, this time for sure it would work. He had been reassured by this boy who looked a lot like Eugene, someone called Flynn Rider, if that was his real name. They would take their riches, split them down the middle and become part of royalty in one fell swoop. It was a brilliant plan and it was going to be great. It would put the Stabbington boys in the limelight and they would be the ones living like royalty.

Eye Patch looked back at him, frowning. "Okay, brother, what have you got planned this time?"

XXXXXX

Eugene was happy. That afternoon, he met Rapunzel in their usual spot during the day, by the waterfall. The castle kitchen packed a mean picnic of cold meats, cheeses, bread and wine. Everything went as planned. He was finally going to meet the Princess and wondered if she would remember him or not. He never forgot her big green eyes staring up at him, those cute little freckles across her nose….

He knew why Megan had that resemblance. They were cousins, distant cousins. It ran in the family, she told him. Well, maybe that's was his original goal, somewhere it kind of got misplaced. He was starting to fall in love with her Lady in Waiting. He wasn't exactly sure how that happened, but it had.

Eugene wanted to impress her; no matter who or what she was. Suddenly, the Princess seemed less important to him now. He would straighten himself out, just to impress her. She would be at the ball, she told him and she'd be looking forward to seeing him there. Eugene would declare his love for her there, for everyone in the kingdom to hear.

Eugene smiled as he made his way back to the tower. He was so happy that he even whistled.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 6

Rapunzel stood inside the glass enclosed terrace staring out at the rolling hills and valleys. She couldn't stop thinking of the game she was playing or why she lied to Fitz anyway. But at this last meeting, he had recognized her; asked her why she had those freckles on her nose and those huge green eyes. She smiled widely and explained that they were cousins; that Meg had often been mistaken for the Princess countless of times? She was getting herself deeper into it and somehow had to get out this deception. She wanted to tell him, but she couldn't bring herself to do so. She'd just let this play out until the ball, which was coming up rather quickly. There wasn't much time left, 3 more days to be exact.

Maybe it was better that she didn't tell him right away. It seemed as if there were two Fitz's anyway and it seemed as if they came at different times; sometimes twice a day, sometimes once. They acted differently, one was a little cold and distant; the other Fitz was warm and caring and only wanted to be with her. At first she thought one was Flynnagan Rider and the other one was Fitz, but she couldn't be sure. She knew one thing; that both wanted to be with her and both wanted to marry her.

"Rapunzel?" she heard a soft female voice call. "We've been looking for you all day. Is there something bothering you? Can I help?"

She turned around to find the Queen staring at her; her kind eyes and warm outstretched arms beckoned her to fly into them without hesitation.

"Oh, Mother," she said as she nestled against the Queen's chest. "Maybe you can help."

Rapunzel untangled herself from her mother's embrace and stared into her eyes. "I've been lying to someone, someone that I love very much. I didn't mean for it to happen, I just didn't want him to know that I was the Princess."

The Queen smiled and motioned for her to sit. There were six hardwood chairs placed in the center of the room set up in a circle. There were three small round tables placed on the far right wall and a long table placed against the back wall for more important meetings.

Rapunzel chose the chair that was closest to the window so that she could still admire the beautiful scenery before her. The Queen smiled, placed a finger to her lips and made her way across the room to lock the glass door. She turned back to face her daughter and chose a seat to Rapunzel's left.

"You have done right, my daughter," the Queen said. "Don't let anyone know that you are the Princess, especially a thief, although your father seems to trust Flynn Rider and I have a inkling of why he might."

Rapunzel frowned. "I'm a little confused."

The Queen nodded. "You see, I think he recognized the boy, Rapunzel. His name is Eugene Fitzherbert and he was orphaned at an early age. William Fitzherbert was his father and he married my first Lady in Waiting, Elizabeth or Liza as I called her."

"And?" Rapunzel asked, still a bit confused.

The Queen smiled. "Well, to make a long story short, his father was Samuel Fitzherbert who married my distant cousin, Elvira. Eugene is Fitz, Rapunzel. Your father seems to think that because the resemblance to Elvira is strong."

"You mean he looks like her?"

Her mother nodded. "Enough like her anyway. He's convinced that he returned you to us when the Gothel family tried to kidnap you. Your father has already spoken with the guard who Eugene brought the baby to. He's retired now. The two of you took an instant liking to each other."

Rapunzel nodded. "Maybe that's why we have these feelings for one another."

"You mean, you're in love with him?"

Rapunzel shook her head. "We're attracted toward each other; that's for sure. I've never felt this way before, especially when he touches me, Mother. I feel warm and tingly. Whenever Fitz puts his hand on mine, I feel shivers run up and down my spine and I know he feels it too."

The Queen smiled. "I know exactly how you feel. That's what happened with your father and I. You two are meant to be together. What's the harm in that?"

"There's another problem, Mother," Rapunzel said. "There's another boy that comes by. He looks almost like Eugene, but he calls himself Flynnagan Rider."

The Queen frowned this time. "How do you know the difference? Where did he come from? We are sure that Eugene was Flynn Rider, the thief."

Rapunzel shrugged. "He acts different, Mother. He touched my hand once and had to pull away. There are sparks of a different sort; I can't describe it. I can tell you something though. It doesn't feel the same as I do with Fitz. I feel something is wrong, that we just don't belong together."

The Queen nodded. "I wonder…" she said, her voice trailing off. She stood up and walked toward the window, her back to her daughter "We thought all of Gothel's relatives dead. I wonder know if they truly are."

She turned to face Rapunzel. "One of Rapunzel's descendents kidnapped you, not Mother Gothel, who's been dead for years. We weren't sure if she had a living survivor though. We have heard rumors of a last surviving relative, but we weren't sure."

Rapunzel stood up and walked over to her mother's side. "Their last name isn't Gothel, is it?"

The Queen smiled and shook her head. "No, daughter, it isn't. It's Rider. The reason that there is a resemblance is because one of the Fitzherbert girls married into the Gothel family a long time ago. That marriage produced a son and daughter. The son was stillborn though; only the daughter survived. She married Flynnagan Rider. If we're correct in our thinking, that's the son's name as well. But it's far more complicated than that, Rapunzel. That family bears a curse; one that was set up centuries ago to preserve the true King and Queen and all their descendents."

"What curse?" Rapunzel asked. "And who set it up?"

The Queen looked at her daughter. "It was set up a long time ago by the Fairies, the true owners of the magic golden flower. True, it was given to the Gothel family originally, but Mother Gothel abused the power and it was given to the Royal family instead. The Gothel family was jealous and it led to bitterness and revenge. You were kidnapped because of it, but Eugene brought you back to us.

"So what do we do now, Mother?"

"Now we need to wait and see who are imposter is. We'll invite him to the ball and see what happens. Don't worry, Rapunzel. We'll find out who is who soon enough."


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 7

"You know something, brother? I think our friend Fitzherbert has been holding out on us?"

Sideburns turned to look at his brother. They had been waiting by the tower all day for Eugene to return from his usual meeting with the Princess or the Lady in Waiting or whomever he was hanging out with. This time it was a bit longer than usual.

"Never fret, boys," a new voice came from the woods. "I think your question has just been answered."

The twins turned around to face Flynn Rider, their new partner in crime. Sideburns frowned. "What exactly are you talking about?"

"Well, you guys wanted our little imposter out of the picture, right?"

The twins looked at one another, then back to the thief.

Eye Patch frowned, turning his attention back to the new guy. "How do you know so much? We only met you…"

Sideburns quieted his brother down, then spoke to Rider. "My brother's right. We've known your distant cousin a lot longer than you and he's been pretty loyal to us. How do you know we can trust you?"

Rider smiled. "Here's the proof, boys." He pulled an unconscious Eugene from the bushes. He was bound and gagged.

The twins stared from one thief to the other; then smiled and turned their attention back to Flynnagan Rider.

"What do we do with him?" Eye Patch asked.

"Stick him in the basement of the tower," was Flynn's answer. "Chain him up, lock the door and he won't be able to get out. Meanwhile, I get my way into the castle and you already have your tickets so we're home free, boys. Get in with the loot and get out, plus you get the Princess with the magic hair."

Sideburns frowned again. "Just like that, huh?"

"What? You don't trust me; after all this time? Geez guys, I'm speechless. Come on. How long have we known each other now?"

"Yeah, that's all well and good," Eye Patch said, "but we didn't expect you to…"

Flynnagan Rider frowned. "Now how did you think we were going to pull this off, boys? You thought that your unconscious friend here would be getting involved? No way. I was just waiting around for the situation to present itself and now it's all here." He looked down at Eugene lying on the ground. Any moment now, he could regain consciousness. They'd have to get him out of here and into that basement as quickly as he could.

"Let's move this guy before he comes to, gentlemen. We've got no time to lose here. The ball is tomorrow night."

Eye Patch turned toward Sideburns, with a confused look on his face. Sideburns just stared back.

"You guys gonna help me or not here? Your buddy isn't light, you know."

Sideburns turned his attention back to Rider. "Alright, we'll help you, Rider, but you better be telling us the truth."

Rider shook his head. "Or else what, you'll kill me?"

There was a pause; nothing but silence met the thief's question.

"All right," Sideburns agreed. "Let's move our old friend downstairs."

Rider smiled. "You get his head and your brother takes his legs. I'll go open the door and get everything secure."

Flynnagan Rider walked inside the tower and climbed the steps leading to the main part of the tower. The twins followed with Eugene in between. Rider then opened up the hatch and crawled down the ladder to the tiny crawl space they called a basement. The Stabbington's were going to have a hard time getting him down there unless they lowered him into his cousin's waiting arms. He would drape Fitz across his shoulder and wait for the brothers to join him down in the crawl space. Then, all three would crawl up the ladder

Flynnagan Rider laughed. If the brothers thought that they'd actually access to the castle and inside the ball, then they would have a rude awakening because that was not his intention at all.

And he wasn't even after the treasure. All he wanted was his revenge and he was going to get it.

XXXXXX

Elvira lost track of Eugene. One minute she heard him whistling happily and the next minute there was nothing but quiet. Eerily quiet. She heard voices, arguing, fighting and then the thud. She had to get back into the air, had to or else all this was for nothing.

Her wings spread and the next thing she knew she was flying. She had to locate the area where the scuffling had come from.

And then she saw it.

A young man about her grandson's age was tying Eugene up. He was lying on the ground unconscious; at least that's what it looked like, but she couldn't tell which one was which. The two looked enough alike to cause a doubt in Elvira's mind. Well, she just had to go by instinct. She followed the young man as he dragged the body to a clearing in the woods; to a tower where two heavy set, burly young men were waiting. One had a eye patch and the other didn't. She knew by the wanted posters around the town that these were the Stabbington Brothers and they were wanted thieves just like her grandson was. She watched the three of them talking. She landed behind the tower. No one could see her; she wanted it that way. They would be able to if she willed it, but she didn't want them to see her just yet.

That's when she overheard their plan and her worst fears were realized. She had arrived to late to save Eugene Fitzherbert. He was the unconscious boy. They were going to deposit him in the basement, whatever that was. Well, she'd follow them into the tower and wait to see what they'd do.

And then she'd bide her time. Elvira had always wanted to see the inside of that tower and now she'd get her wish.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 8

"I can't believe you'd let her go like that, Gabe," the second in command complained. He paced back and forth, staring at Mr. Starz as if he were some kind of criminal.

"Come on now, Mike, it really wasn't my idea and you always said..."

Michael Starz nodded and kept his eyes on his brother. "I didn't exactly say you should let lesser angels go off by themselves, especially ones that have never been down to earth before. They are supposed to…"

Gabe shrugged. "She wanted to go, Michael. You said to encourage them and I did. She wanted to go to straighten some things out, especially her feelings. You know what happened with her and her grandson. She things she can make things right, make things better. She told you as much."

Michael looked at the older angel. "Just because you're in love with her, Gabriel, doesn't give you the right to send her down there alone."

Gabe's eyes widened. "Love? Look who's talking about love? You've been seeing her more than I have. Every chance you get. I know all about it, I've seen the two of you. I feel like you're taking her away from me."

Michael shook his head. "You're the one that let her go. You know the danger that's there. This isn't the right time…"

Gabe frowned. "Stop trying to protect her, brother. Our place is up here. We have other souls that we need to keep track of. You've always agreed that we can't sacrifice ourselves, especially the two head angels. We have others here to look out for. You know that yourself."

Michael nodded and relaxed. "I guess she'll be all right down there." He walked over to the window and looked down. "I mean what bad can happen."

Gabe hadn't given it much thought. She was going down to rescue her grandson from a den of thieves. He did intend to marry her when she returned; he loved her to distraction. But through all his advances, she always told him no. Told him she wasn't ready to get marry, not just yet. When he asked about Elvira about his brother, she refused to answer; all she did was smile and walk away.

The thing that angered him more was that she'd spend almost every day with Mike, but every time he brought it up, she would shake her head and tell him that nothing was between them. She said they were friends, but it didn't seem that way, not now especially.

Not since Michael had come bursting in here angrier than a bee without a hive for sending Elvira back to earth without protection. Maybe he should have gone himself to watch out for her, but he wasn't sure if she'd want that. Elvira wanted to prove herself; prove that she was capable of doing things herself. It was really her problem; not his or Michael's.

And wasn't the idea that each angel had to clean up their own mess regardless of what it entailed? She wasn't the first woman to return to earth alone, was she? He didn't remember, couldn't remember. He'd been up here for years with Michael and this was the first time in a long time that the brothers fought over a woman. The last time, Michael won, but that was only for a short time. Persephone ended up leaving the two of them in the lurch and marrying the youngest of the brothers, Abbadon or as he is better known on earth, the Devil. Outcast and alone, Abbadon kept Persephone there for only half the year and in the spring, he let her go with the promise that she would return to him.

Gabe didn't want that for Elvira; he just wanted to her to be happy, whether it was with Michael or not.

But he hoped that she would want him.

"Are you listening to me, Gabe?" Michael said, frowning. "Have your heard anything I said?"

Gabe couldn't tell him that he hadn't heard a word. "We're both going down together, Michael. We'll get my assistant in here, Elijah. His just as capable as we are."

Michael looked up at his brother, a smile playing around his lips. "You're trying to drive a wedge between us, brother? Trying to see who is the better man for her? Challenging me to a duel?"

Gabe shook his head. "I've been thinking a lot about you said, Mike. I'm trying to make sure that nothing happens to Elvira. Besides, I'd miss her if anything happened and so would you. I don't want to lose another angel as promising as Elvira Fitzherbert Whittington."

Michael smiled and unfolded his wings. "Meet you down there, brother."

Gabe nodded. He had to find Elijah and then he'd meet Mike down there. This way, if anything happened, neither one would be blamed.

And maybe he get in a little time for himself while he was at it. Gabe had something to give her, something he'd been keeping from everyone, including Michael. Maybe this time, he'd have the guts to come right out and tell her, maybe he'd finally admit it to himself that he need Elvira.

Maybe she was just waiting to hear it straight from him as well.

He shook his head as he watched Michael fly off. He'd better find Elijah and get down there as quickly as possible.

XXXXX

Eugene opened his eyes and looked around. Everything was dark, everything was quiet. He tried to move, but it was impossible. He was tied up from head to foot. He tried to open his mouth, but it was covered with something, probably the bandana he used when he needed a disguise. He tried to break his bonds, but it was tied around so tightly that it was impossible to loosen. He wanted to get to the ball; he needed to get to the ball. He promised Megan he'd see her there. And who the heck would do this to him anyway? He had no enemies, not that he knew of?

Unless….

Eugene shook his head. The Stabbingtons weren't smart enough and what would be their reasoning? They needed him, they couldn't survive without them, could they?

Eugene was panicking now. He couldn't miss this, it was his one chance to meet the princess, something he wanted to do all his life. This was a dream, wasn't it? This wasn't happening; this couldn't be happening.

He could hear Megan's voice in his head. Whenever he'd get scared, nervous or frightened she'd always tell him the same thing: don't freak out.

Eugene tried his best, but there was nothing else he could do at this point.

And so he screamed for help, hoping someone, anyone, would hear him.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 9

Flynnagan Rider smiled. Megan would get him into the castle, meet the King and Queen and make his intentions known. He looked enough like his competition to fool them into believing that he was Eugene Fitzherbert. Everything would fall into place after that. He had one more thing to take care of and all would be well. He was convinced that his distant cousin was well out of the way and as far as he was concerned, would rot away in the basement of the tower, while he would marry the Princess and take over the kingdom. The rightful heirs would come to the throne and revenge would be his!

Flynn had thought about different scenarios, but after much thought he had settled on this one. He would meet Megan as usual, but this time he'd use her to get into the castle. Once inside, he'd let take her to the Princess herself and Megan would have to be gotten rid of. That's what the Stabbington boys were for; they'd get the blame for the robbery and the kidnapping. But Flynn would get the Princess. He'd have to make nice with everyone, which he was planning on doing, up until the stroke of midnight. That's when he would, single handedly, take over everything. His plan to poison the King and Queen had merit; it would be right after his marriage to Princess Rapunzel during the toast. His inside men would see to that.

He wasn't exactly sure what he would do with her after that, but he'd figure it out. He'd play it by ear. Of course, the deaths would be blamed on Eugene, Megan and the Stabbington boys, that's the way he'd planned it, and he'd be the savior. Rapunzel would be all alone and just begging for her killers to be brought to justice. And he would be her savior, he'd come to her rescue.

They'd be married one year and she'd have a son so Flynn could raise him by himself. Rapunzel would die accidentally on purpose, probably in childbirth he had decided, and all would be right with the world. He'd have the heir to the throne and the Gothel's would rule once again; simple and easy as that. The bards would be singing his praises for years to come and the Gothel family would be exactly where they'd belonged. The rightful family would be on the throne and Flynnagan Rider would rule jointly with his son and heir.

His ancestors would be proud.

XXXXXX

"Have you heard anything?" Gabe demanded, landing beside his brother.

Mike nodded, faced his brother and held up a finger to his lips for silence. He turned back toward the door of Rider's tiny cottage in the middle of a small sandbar. If it wasn't high tide and the river didn't flood, you could reach it by foot. Most of the time however, you'd need a small raft to get back and forth. Gothel's family had lived in this house for years.

Gabe understood and nodded to himself. All he could do was stand silently and watch until Mike finally turn to wave at him. "Disappear," he mouthed and the two of them vanished into the mist that always shrouded the cottage.

The brothers watched as the door opened and Flynnagan Rider stepped outside with a smile on his face. He carefully looked from east to west; then south to north. When he saw he was quite alone; he rubbed his hands together in glee.

"Well, well, the tide is down. I should really bring the raft with me as usual, but I won't need it tonight. I don't think I'll ever need it again." Rider laughed, it filled the air and echoed through the forest."

Mike and Gabe watched Flynn Rider fade into the mist. As soon as he was gone, the two reappeared and stared at one another.

"We've got to stop him," Mike said and repeated everything that he had heard to his brother.

XXXXXXX

The King angrily paced the floor of his study. He couldn't believe that he had been wrong, that there actually was a thief name Flynnagan Rider and it wasn't Eugene after all. Not only that, but he looked enough like Eugene to be mistaken for him all those years and had pretended to be a swashbuckling rogue who had his own island and enormous piles of money to do as he pleased.

Not to mention he was the last surviving relative of the Gothel's.

The King looked over at his wife and daughter on the plush red velvet chairs watching him walk nervously back and forth; wondering what his next move would be. He knew there had to be one and he knew that time was running out. Tomorrow was the ball and if he didn't strike first, that idiot Rider and his cohorts would do so.

"I need some time to plan alone, my ladies. I know that this is not the normal procedure, but I will let you know in due time what my intentions will be. You two will be included, I have you two to thank for letting me know."

"You have Rapunzel to thank," the Queen said, turning her attention to her daughter. "She knew the difference between the two cousins and I'm sure she won't make a mistake now, husband."

The King smiled at his daughter. "You've always known from the beginning, haven't you? It's true, then, you and Fitzherbert were meant to be together."

"And if the curse holds," the Queen continued, "the minute Rider touches Rapunzel's hair, he will turn to dust as his ancestors before him. It won't matter too much."

The King smiled. "I know, my lady, but we've got to get him to that point as soon as he enters the castle. We can't let him outsmart us, which he is counting on."

He looked over at his daughter. He cupped her chin in his hands and smiled. "You and your mother might as well share your plan with me and we'll figure something out together, just give me some time."

Rapunzel nodded, looked and her mother and repeated what the two of them had worked so hard to devise.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 10

Elvira finally found the entrance and scrambled up the stairs to the main room of the tower. She heard the screaming coming from somewhere underneath the floor. She tried to pinpoint the sounds, which by now had almost disappeared altogether.

"Hello," the voice called, "is someone there?"

"Eugene?" Elvira's voice rang out. "Where are you?"

"I'm down here under the floor. There's a trap door."

"Knock a few times, Eugene,"

She followed the knocks, but still couldn't find any of it. Elvira kicked away a stray shirt out of her way only to discover that the shirt had been hiding it. She grabbed the iron latch and pulled it open, revealing an iron ladder leading downward into darkness.

"Eugene? Keep talking, loud and clear."

Opening up the hatch had let a little light in, but not much.

"I'm down here, below you."

Elvira looked again, but could only make out a small lump of something, shoved up against the cold stone wall of the cellar. He was right at the foot of the ladder.

With quick movements, she climbed down the ladder carefully. She almost stepped on him when she reached the last rung on the ladder.

"Eugene?" she called out.

"Help me," was the answer she received.

Her wings disappeared into her back and jumped onto the floor, stepping over her grandson.

"Leave it to me, Eugene. You'll be out of those binds by no time."

Using no magic, Elvira quickly loosened the ropes that bound his hands and feet. She helped him to stand and helped him up the ladder, where Eugene promptly collapsed against the tower wall.

Elvira set about boiling water and mixing the herbs she carried for a poultice. She placed a cool rag on his brow and laid a second on his wounds.

"You will need some rest, Eugene."

Eugene frowned at her. "Elvira?" he whispered. "How can that be? I know you're…"

Elvira smiled and placed a finger to his lips. "Quiet, my grandson; you need your rest. You'll need your strength for the ball tomorrow night. "

"Ball? What ball? My tickets are gone. The Stabbingtons took them and someone else who looks like me, but with…"

Elvira nodded. "Yes, with a different nose. His name is Flynn Rider, the one you named yourself after. He's a bit older than you, but you're distant cousins, through marriage. He's the last survivor of the Gothel clan."

"But his name…"

Elvira shook her head. "What you need is to lie down and rest. The Stabbingtons and Rider won't be back for sometime. I will stay with you, but I'm going to have to find out what this is all about. You have a costume for the ball I suppose?"

Eugene nodded. "Yeah, I do. It should be in the closet back there unless it was taken along with those tickets."

Elvira stood up and walked over the wardrobe and opened the unpainted wooden doors. Sure enough, there was a uniform hanging there, a Guardsman's uniform.

She pulled it out and stared at it, a tear sliding down her cheek. "Where did you find this, Eugene?"

"In the closet back at the farm," he whispered. "I figured it belonged to you. It fits perfectly."

Elvira walked toward him, draping the uniform over her arm. "It's a long story, Eugene," she said, settling back in her chair. She draped the uniform across Eugene's bed and stood up, helping her grandson to stand. They both walked toward it, Eugene leaning a bit heavily on Elvira.

Eugene was able to stretch out on the bed and moaned a bit. "You'll have to explain, Elvira. I need to know everything, especially now. You did call me your grandson."

Elvira nodded and smoothed his hair. "Yes," she whispered, "but first you will need rest. You need to get to that ball and prove to everyone who you really are. Then everything will be set right. Now, about what I'm doing here, you see…"

But she stopped as she heard Eugene's steady breathing. She nodded as she tucked him in and stared into his face. "You rest for a few hours, my grandson. You'll know the truth in a few hours."

XXXXX

"Alright boys, this is where we split up," Rider said, staring at the two of them. "Find some nice place to sleep tonight and lie low."

Sideburns turned to Eye Patch who he discovered had been already looking at back at him. Both turned to Rider.

"This wasn't how we planned it, Rider. I don't know about this."

Flynn Rider stared at the two of them. Maybe they weren't the fools he thought they were.

"What do you mean? I told you to wait for my signal, didn't I?"

"Yeah, you did, but that was for tomorrow night." Sideburns answered.

"We got tickets to this thing, ya know," Eye Patch nodded. "We were looking forward to this thing."

"Alright, alright," Rider laughed. "The two of you can come inside the castle with me. You'll be my bodyguards."

Satisfied, the twins smiled at one another.

"Let's get inside and find Megan," Flynn said, looking around nervously. "She was supposed to meet me out here and…"

"And I'm right here, Mr. Rider," Rapunzel said, with a grin. She turned her attention to the twins. "Who are these two, your bodyguards?"

Rider smiled. Brilliant woman, he thought as he nodded his head. "How'd you know?"

Rapunzel kept staring at them, and then turned toward Flynn. "Lucky guess," she said. "Come on, let's go. Sorry I'm a bit late."

She glanced at the two brothers once more before she led the three of them past the guards at the gate. She'd seen them somewhere before, but she wasn't exactly sure where.

Rapunzel was nervous herself as she passed through the gate. She had to pull this off just as the three of them planned to. She knew her parents would stick by their part of the bargain and she had to stick by that.

All she needed was a little confidence and determination and with that, she'd be able to accomplish anything.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 11

"Well, what do we do now?" Gabriel asked as they followed Rapunzel and the twins inside the castle. "He's already gotten inside."

"We've got to try and stop them," Michael said, wondering the same thing.

"How?" Gabe asked. "We're still in invisibility mode."

Mike looked back at him. "We can change that, remember? We can be anyone we want to be, right?"

Gabe brightened. "You've got a point there, brother. I suppose we can become guardsmen and arrest Flynn Rider."

Michael frowned at his brother and shook his head. "On what charge?" he asked. "We just have to wait it out. We can detain it a bit. The Stabbingtons are doing all the dirty work, we know that. All we can do now is wait. We've already warned the Royal family. They've got it all under control. Right now we just have to wait and watch."

Gabe nodded. Yep, it was he who relayed the news into the King's mind, making him believe it was his idea all along. Gabe just didn't realize that the women would come up with it first. That could have very well have been Mike's doing.

"Guardsmen, then?" he asked.

Mike nodded. "We can't do it here, not in the middle of the castle where everyone can see us. The barracks would be a better idea. This way no one will suspect and we can keep and eye on royals until after the ball. We just have to get the right man."

Gabe nodded. Everything was well in hand. This was sure to impress Elvira, especially if he was the one who took charge. He wasn't going to let Mike get away with it, not this time.

XXXXX

Rapunzel led the boys on a wild goose chase, depositing them in the audience chamber. It was Rider who was interested in speaking with her in private. All he wanted was to get his hands on the Princess.

She searched out the real Megan and sent her down to the chamber as planned. Then she spoke with her parents and went to her rooms so that she would dress as befitting a princess. She wasn't sure how they were going to get the twins, she recognized them right away. Those wanted posters didn't lie.

"Megan?" Rapunzel turned around.

"You're supposed to be in the audience…" she said, whirling around so quickly she almost lost her balance. But there was no one there, no one at all. Was she hearing things? She might be losing it, seemed like that the way it was all day long.

Breathing a sigh of relief, she entered her bedchamber only to hear the voice again, but this time it was a woman calling to her.

And she used her real name.

"Don't worry, Rapunzel. I'm taking care of Fitz. Everything will right as rain tomorrow night to attend the ball. Be prepared for him as there will be two of them. You will know exactly which one is which."

Rapunzel frowned. "I already know which one is which. I have to let him touch me, we have to rid Corona of Gothel's surviving descendant before they get rid of us."

It took a few minutes before the woman spoke again. "You'll know, Rapunzel. Do what you have to and trust yourself. You will know."

And then she was gone or the voice was at least.

She took the gown off her bed and slipped it over her head. One of her other Ladies attended her, Cora by name, and hooked up the back.

"Thanks, Cora," Rapunzel said, as she headed for the door, but Cora stopped her. She motioned to the back way out.

"There's someone out there, Princess. I think he's waiting for you, slip out this way."

Rapunzel kissed Cora on the cheek and headed out the wandered through the rooms until she figured she was far enough away. She slipped out her rooms unnoticed, then hurried down the hallway.

XXXXX

"What are you doing in the Princess' rooms?" The Guardsman asked, "You should be in the Audience chamber. You're not supposed to walking around the castle unattended."

"We were told that everything would be set up; that everything was taken care of," Sideburns answered, looking confused. "You were supposed to be expecting us."

"Yes, we were," the other Guardsman moved in to grab Eye Patch, "that's exactly why we're here. Now come along peacefully. We'll escort you right back to the Audience Chamber. Everything will be fine. The King and Queen should be there now and we know that the Princess is on her way."

"So just sit tight," the first Guardsman asked. "By the way, aren't you two supposed to be bodyguards? Is there a body here we don't know about?"

Sideburns stared at Eye Patch as they were escorted down the hallway back to the Audience Chamber. Sideburns could see that his brother was as angry as he was. How were they going to blend in if everyone knew what they were up to? This clearly was not what he expected.

Sideburns was pretty angry and he would get his revenge later, probably during the ball. Yes, embarrassing Rider in front of everyone would be the best way. He simply was not going to let Rider get away with all this.

Not if he and Eye Patch could help it.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 12

Rapunzel hurried through the rooms and out the castle gates. She was sure that Megan would be fine alone with Rider and the twins, but she couldn't stop that nagging feeling that something was going to go wrong. It was a feeling that she couldn't shake. She just couldn't put her finger on it.

She stopped in the middle of the cobblestone street wondering if she should return to the castle. The further she ran up the road, the more she wanted to turn around and run back there. She wasn't sure why either.

She decided to continue up the road but her conscious wouldn't let her be. It was as if she was talking to herself. That was bad enough, but then there were the voices in her head.

Where was she going anyway? The woman actually told her that she'd see Eugene tomorrow night before the ball. There was something calling to her she was sure of it; calling her away from the castle.

The voice in her head told her to keep running, Megan would be alright, but she wasn't so sure. She turned around to head back when she heard the sound of thunder and saw a flash of lightning. Beside her a tree branch fell, narrowly missing her, but scraping her cheek and knocking her to the ground in the process.

Rapunzel wasn't going anywhere outside the castle gates; not for a while anyway.

But there were two sets of eyes who had known exactly what happened and had vowed to protect her against all odds.

XXXXX

"Megan?" Rider said, "it's good to see you again."

The real Megan stared at Flynn Rider. She had offered to do this; it was all part of the plan between Rapunzel and her parents. She had been prepared and prepped, but something told her to be wary.

Very wary.

"It's good to see you too, Fitz," she smiled her widest and bussed his cheek as she was told to do.

"Where's the Princess? Didn't you explain that I was here? I thought that's the way we planned it."

Megan smiled and shook her head. "I'd forgotten that Princess Rapunzel wouldn't be around, but she will be tomorrow night, Fitz. She'll be at the ball tomorrow night and she mentioned that she'd see you alone, about an hour before it." Megan held up a ticket. "She asked me to give you this, if you don't already have one. "

Flynnagan Rider snatched the ticket out of her hand. "I'll be there, Megan, you can count on that, but I need to know what time she'll meet me."

Megan shook her head and shrugged her shoulders. "Just show up, Fitz; she be there waiting for you."

With that, she turned away and left the audience chamber, never even looking back.

Flynn's smile disappeared as soon as Megan did. Where were the Stabbington Brothers, he wondered as he stared after her. Something was going on, he was sure of it, but didn't know what. And he wasn't going to ruin his chances meeting the Princess, after all she had set up the meeting herself.

So he decided to bide his time tomorrow night. He'd find out who the imposter was.

Right now he had to find the twins.

XXXXXX

Gabe, still dressed as the guardsman, brought a still unconscious Rapunzel to the physician's quarters. The King and Queen had been by her side throughout the entire night and straight on until morning, waiting to discover her fate.

The doctor wasn't sure what it was, only that their daughter was a very lucky young lady. She had a few scratches to her neck and her arms, but the doctor assured them that she was fine. He told the King that he was sure that he wouldn't have to postpone the ball. All the invites had been given out and all the eligible bachelors were supposed to show up the same time, an hour before the ball was to officially begin.

Meanwhile, Elvira watched as Eugene slept. She smiled and relaxed as his breathing became more and more stable. Soon it would be morning and a brand new day would begin. She'd dress him up in her son's uniform and he'd go to meet the Princess before the rest of the pack showed up. They'd have time alone before the ball; while all the eligible bachelors would gather, waiting for the Princess to pick her suitor.

And she was going to make sure that the choice would be her grandson.

Things would go as planned, Elvira was sure of that. She was going to keep him safe and out of trouble.

Elvira was happy as she watched him sleep. Everything would be fine.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 13

Eugene opened his eyes and looked around. Nothing looked familiar at all.

"Where am I?" he called out to no one in particular.

"You're in the tower, Eugene," a woman's voice called out from the darkness.

Eugene squinted. "Who are you? Come into the light where I can see you. I recognize your voice. I just need to make sure you're still here."

Elvira walked out of the darkness into the light. She was holding a cup of her special herbal tea. She smiled and held it out toward him.

Eugene smiled and accepted it. "What are you doing here, Elvira? I know that you're…"

She shook her head and held her finger to his lips. "It'll be explained in due time, grandson. Right now, we need you dressed and ready for the ball. It's already late morning and the ball is supposed to begin in only a few more hours. You also have an appointment with the Princess Rapunzel in 5 hours. We want you there ahead of time so that you and Rapunzel will get to know one another."

Eugene frowned. "We? Who is 'we'?

Elvira smiled a bit and then shook her head. "Don't worry right now, Eugene. You'll find out soon enough."

Eugene nodded. "What is this Cinderella or something? What are you doing Elvira? Are you my fairy godmother?"

Elvira, by now, had turned her back on her grandson. She was in the kitchen pouring another cup of her special tea.

"More like your fairy grandmother, Eugene." She walked toward him and held out with the cup, which he greedily swallowed. He handed her back the cup and she went back to refill it.

Eugene watched her walk away not realizing until now what she said to him. "You're my grandmother?" he said frowning.

"Well," Elvira answered, still in the kitchen, "I was. I guess I should have owned up to it sooner. I should have come to claim you all those years ago." She put down the blue and white flowered china teapot and picked up the small matching cup. "You should never have gone to that orphanage." As she neared him, Elvira stretched out her arm, handing Eugene the cup. "I should have…"

"Shoulda, woulda, coulda," Eugene answered, reaching out his own hand to accept it. "It's all over and done with. No one knows what the future holds. Besides which, I found you when I was 8. Believe it or not, I've always considered you my stepmother, Elvira. You took me in and raised me and I'll always be grateful for that."

He brought the cup to his lips and swallowed. He gave her back the cup which Elvira accepted graciously. She smiled and turned her back on him, headed for the kitchen again.,

"Geez, Elvira. How much of this awful stuff do I have to drink?"

Elvira shook her head and walked toward him, "Not until I'm satisfied that you're good to go, Eugene. I need you at that ball, grandson. I have my own reasons."

She came closer and handed him the cup. "Besides, this is the last one."

Eugene held out his hand to accept it.

"You never complained before, Eugene. Not even when you were small."

"I guess we all grow older, don't we?" He drained the cup and handed it back, but Elvira placed it on the table in front of her. "Now stand up and let me take care of the rest. You're going to that ball, Eugene whether I have to carry you or not. Now get up and let's get you dressed and ready."

XXXXXX

Gabe was still hanging around when Rapunzel opened her eyes. He was shocked and surprised when their eyes locked, but was relieved when he realized he was still dressed as a guardsman. The King and Queen rushed forward to embrace her, but was held back by the physician.

"She'll need a bit more rest; she's gone through quite a lot. I want you all out here until I say she's okay."

"She's got to be ready for the ball tonight," the King said, shaking his head. "I can't postpone it…."

The doctor nodded. "Just a few hours more, Your Majesty. I will send the guardsman here to let you know when she's ready. Until then, you'll all leave until I say everything is alright."

"What about you?" the King asked, frowning.

"I will accompany you, Sire."

The King looked into the guardsman's eyes. "I'm counting on you to take good care of my daughter, guardsman. You will be rewarded handsomely."

The physician turned toward the guardsman. "I'll come in from time to time to see how she is. Just keep her safe."

Gabe just smiled. "You can count on me, Majesties," he told them. "I won't let you down."

XXXXX

"There you two are," Flynn said, hands on his hips. "Where have you been? I've missed you guys? What the heck are you two doing outside the castle when you're supposed to be…"

"Alright, the three of you," the guardsman at the gate said. "You have to move along."

"But…"

"No buts. Everyone needs to clear out. We have to get this section ready for the ball, so get going. The three of you will be back with all the rest of the Princess' suitors."

Flynn Rider looked into the guardsman eyes. He screwed up his face and raised an eyebrow.

"And no smolders, Rider. Get the heck out of here, before I throw you out."

Rider shrugged and herded the twins out.

Michael, the guardsman, just shrugged his shoulders. Everything would turn out fine.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Elvira smiled as she stared at her grandson. He was the spitting image of his father, especially in that uniform. She couldn't get over how well he had fit into it, not to mention how well it stood up to the test of time. Not a mark on it, not a moth bite, nothing.

"Is this really what my father looked like? Eugene admired himself in the mirror.

Elvira nodded. "Yes, it is, especially when he was your age." She moved closer to straighten out a few wrinkles in the fabric, but then she stepped back to check out her handiwork. She nodded her approval.

"He was a good man and a excellent guardsman. The three of you were a close knit family. Will and Elizabeth died of pneumonia when you only 2 years old. "

Eugene smiled as he stared into the mirror. "The only thing I remember is the orphanage. It wasn't that it was so bad; it was more like something kept nagging at me to get out of there. I couldn't wait until I was out on my own and that's when I found you."

"Didn't you find something else?" Elvira asked.

Eugene nodded. "A baby, a little baby girl with big green eyes and the cutest face I've ever seen. She was crying and screaming until I picked her up and when we made eye contact…"

He trailed off, then shook his head. "I'm a peasant and a thief, Elvira. I don't deserve to have her. I've been dreaming about her all my life and all I've ever met is one of her ladies who is supposed to introduce to me to her."

He turned back to the mirror. "This is all a sham, nothing more. I'm not worthy of her, she'll never have me. I'll just be one of many. So I saved her, so what? They'll give me a medal for bravery and send me on my way."

He turned again to face his grandmother. "A thief doesn't marry a princess, Elvira, no matter what I've done. Royalty never marries for love; they marry for political reasons only."

Elvira smiled and smoothed out his uniform once more. "You don't know, Eugene. You must remember that your mother was a Lady in Waiting to the Queen. There is nothing to be ashamed of. You did a brave thing by returning the little princess to her proper place and I know that the King and Queen will never forget that. I know that they're will be forever grateful."

She stepped back again and nodded her approval. "Come, we've got only a few hours left. We've got to get you there before the other suitors. We need a head start and we've got the best transportation in all of Corona."

Eugene stared at her as she rushed him out of the tower and down the steps.

Elvira smiled as she walked over to the horse that had been tied to an old birch tree opposite the tower.

Eugene's eyes widened. "Maximus?" he said, smiling. He remembered the beautiful white horse in Elvira's stable, how he used to care for him and ride him endlessly.

"It's his son, Eugene, but I've named it Max because he looks exactly like him. He's the fastest horse in all of Corona. He'll get you to the castle in time. Meg will be there to greet you and take you inside to meet the Princess. Your lifelong dream will come true."

Eugene smiled and jumped on Max. "What about you?"

Elvira smiled again. "I'll be there, Eugene. I'm not your fairy grandmother for nothing, you know."

Her grandson smiled down at her. "I don't know how to thank you."

Elvira looked up. "There's no need. Now go, before you miss the ball altogether."

Eugene nodded and spurred Max on.

It wasn't too long afterwards that Elvira followed. She hoped that Michael and Gabriel Starz had carried out their part of the bargain.

XXXXX

Flynnagan Rider was furious. There was no way to blame the Stabbingtons for robbery and no entrance to the castle, not ahead of time anyway. Nothing was going right; all his planning was for nothing. There had to be another way in there, he couldn't let his ancestors down.

He had to destroy the Royal family and the Gothel's had to be in control. His descendents were crying out for revenge.

They were in the woods; the tower was too far away from the castle. He needed to be close, close as he could possibly get.

He turned his attention toward the twins, still sleeping beside him. Rider just shook his head. They weren't worth his time or energy anymore, the two bumbling fools. What good were they? No, he would have to revise this plan and do this alone.

And this time he was going to do it right.

He had no time to lose, it was still early yet. He ran towards the castle, but stopped when he reached the barracks. Rider smiled. The idea just hit him. Some of the guards would be sleeping. All he needed to do was somehow borrow a uniform and sneak his way into the castle. It would work, he knew it would, but he'd better hurry. His time was running out.

XXXXXX

Eugene and Max flew like the wind with Elvira close behind them. The three were only steps away from the gate when Eugene noticed something lying on the cobblestone street.

"Hold up, Max," Eugene said, as he jumped from the white horse and walked over to the object. He picked it up and held it in his hands, turning it over and over.

It was a shoe, but not an ordinary shoe. It was a lovely glass slipper with a fur lining inside for comfort. There was silver bead work and other precious jewels that adorned the outside of the shoe. The heel was less than an inch long. It was nothing like he'd ever seen before.

And it could only belong to one person. It had to be the Princess, he was sure of it; no one else would wear something like that.

But where was the other one?

Placing the slipper inside the waist of his trousers, he jumped on Max and made for the castle. He had just gained his entry into the castle.

Elvira smiled as she looked on from above. The plan was working fine.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 15

"My favorite shoes, Meg; there's one's missing."

Megan shrugged and handed her another pair. "Just wear another pair right now, Rapunzel. We'll find that one later. Right now we have to get you ready for the ball. You have a meeting with Fitz a little less than an hour away."

Rapunzel smiled and nodded. "Where the heck do you think I might have lost it?"

Meg shrugged. "I think it was when you tripped over those cobblestones. I never went back to look for it, I thought one was in your room. Well, no matter. I'm sure someone will deliver it."

Rapunzel shook her head and smiled. "Yeah, sure. A princely suitor will bring it to me and ask me to try it on. Just like Cinderella."

"And so what if it is, Rapunzel. You deserve a happy ending, especially with some one you love."

Rapunzel frowned, "What does that mean exactly?"

"Stop asking so many questions and get out there. How would it look if the man your dreams comes by once in a lifetime and you're here with me?"

Rapunzel smiled. "Oh alright, but you've got to be close by, Meg. I might need you."

Megan nodded. "I've already been asked to look after you. There should no problem. The physician wouldn't let you out of here if I hadn't promised him I'd look after you. It's that and that Guardsman out there who has been a constant presence since you were brought in here."

"My father's idea, I suppose?"

Megan nodded. "You know the reason, Princess. Why do you always have to ask?"

Rapunzel smiled. "Come on, let's go."

And as soon as the princess and her lady left their rooms, Gabe made sure he stayed close behind.

XXXXXX

Eugene reached the castle gate in no time at all. He jumped off Max, handed him to the waiting groomsman and headed toward the castle gates when he collided with another guardsman who wasn't watching where he was going.

Eugene fell to the ground as did the other guardsman. The shoe went flying and landed right near the other man.

"Are you alright, guardsman?" Eugene asked, standing up. He extended his arm to help him up.

That's when he noticed the shoe was gone from his waist. By the time he discovered where it had landed, the other guardsman had gotten to his feet.

"Thanks for the hand, guardsman; I didn't mean to…" Flynn Rider stopped and stared at Eugene who was already staring back at him.

The resemblance was uncanny.

Elvira held a back a bit when she saw what happened. Could she stop this? Eugene must have the shoe. There was no way that she was going to allow Rider the chance to get it.

The two couldn't stop staring at each other.

"Who are you?" Eugene asked.

"Who do you think I am?" Flynn Rider said, smiling.

Eugene snapped out of it. "If you don't mind getting out of my way…"

Rider's eyes followed Eugene's gaze and smiled. "Oh, you mean this?" He bent down and retrieved the shoe, but sparks flew when he picked it up.

It was a mild shock, but it was enough to cause Rider to drop it again.

"It's my shoe," Eugene protested, picking it up from the cobblestones where it lay again."

"Now you listen to me, it's mine,' Flynn Rider said, trying to pull it from Eugene's grasp, but something was stopping him. Something or someone wouldn't let that shoe out of Eugene's hand, whether he wanted to give it to Rider or not.

And he certainly did not want to hand it over to him.

"What's going on here?" one of the guardsman asked before he saw what Eugene held in his hand.

Where did you get that?" the same guardsman asked, drawing his sword. "That's…"

"Everything's fine, Guardsman," the Captain of the Guards answered, suddenly appearing out of nowhere. "I'll handle this. Now if you'll get back to your duties?"

The other guardsman bowed, leaving Rider, Fitzherbert and the Captain alone.

The Captain looked from one to the other; there was that resemblance that Elvira had warned him about. Right now, Mike was a bit confused until he spotted Elvira floating above.

She was pointing at Eugene. There apparently was a slight difference in the uniform.

"Go ahead," he told Eugene handing him back the shoe. "The Princess is expecting you."

He turned now to Rider. "You have a ticket, don't you? You'll wait for the rest of suitors, which will be in half an hour. Just wait here."

The Captain smiled calmly and then turned away.

XXXXX

Eugene couldn't believe he was inside. Finally, after all these years, he was going to meet the Princess and he had only one person to thank or so he thought.

Another guardsman came out to meet him with another woman by his side. That woman looked exactly like…

"Hello Fitz, it's good to see you again."

Eugene's brown eyes widened. "Megan?"

"Yes, it is," Meg smiled and walked over to embrace him, which Eugene found a little weird. He thought that their relationship was a little more than that.

"I thought that…"

"She's in the garden, Mr. Fitz," Gabe said, nodding. "She's waiting for you."

"And she'll be expecting that," Megan smiled, pointing at the shoe. "We weren't sure where it disappeared to."

"It was right outside the…"

Come along," Gabe said, ushering him inside. "We've got a half hour before the ball starts. We're late already."

Megan grabbed his arm and brought him inside. Eugene stopped and took her hands in his. "What's going on here, Megan? You and I…"

"Hello, Fitz, remember me?"

Eugene looked at Megan who nodded.

"May I present Princess Rapunzel," she said, smiling, unhooking his arm from hers. Meg stepped back and waited.

Eugene was so nervous; he hadn't realized that she called him by the name that he only made up for Megan. With a last look at her Lady in Waiting, he turned to face the Princess.

And he wasn't prepared for what he saw.

XXXXX

Flynn Rider was furious. Something was working against him, he was sure of it and one of them was that shoe. There was something magical about it, it was way to hot for him to hold, yet that "Fitz" could easily pick it up without a problem. Rider wasn't used to this treatment, he was always used to getting what he wanted

And he was going to make sure that he did get it. He wasn't through yet, not by a long-shot..


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 16

Eugene couldn't believe what he was looking at. His eyes darted from Rapunzel's face to Megan's, then back again.

"Now, wait just a second," Eugene frowned, looking at Rapunzel, "just who have I been meeting with all this time?"

"It's been me," Rapunzel said, walking over to him. "We sometimes switch off like that, since my parents found that Meg and I share a slight resemblance."

"Slight?" Eugene said, turning back to Megan.

Megan shrugged. "Almost everything except maybe the freckles, the height difference, the voice…."

"We're distant cousins, Meg and I. We've been doing this since we were 10 years old. It sometimes comes in handy."

"So this whole thing has been some kind of joke?" Eugene asked. He shook his head. "I've got to get out of here."

"Not so fast, Fitzherbert," a new voice piped up. Eugene turned around and found the King staring at him.

"You have a double as well, my lad. His name is Flynnagan Rider and he's been posing as you for close to four months."

Eugene frowned. "Are you sure about that? How do you know the difference?"

"I can't reveal my sources just yet, Eugene, but my daughter was wise enough to figure it out. We had to make sure that it was you who brought Rapunzel safely back to us when you were 8 years old."

"And you say this Rider looks like me?"

"Yes, the two of you are distant cousins as Meg and my daughter. Now I need to ask you a question, Fitzherbert, and I need a truthful answer."

"Go on," Eugene said, his eyes narrowing.

"Never mind what went on here, lad. We just needed to make sure who was who so that we can take the appropriate steps. Now, are you in love with my daughter or not?"

"I've wanted to meet her all my life," Eugene answered, staring at Rapunzel. "I wanted to know if she remembered me, I had no idea that my Meg would turn out to the Princess."

"You haven't answered my question, Eugene. Are you in love with her or not."

Eugene kept his eyes on the Princess. "I came here ready to announce my love for Rapunzel's Lady in Waiting, Majesty. I didn't expect that it would turn out to be the Princess herself."

The King stood by, waiting for an answer. He didn't utter a word this time.

Eugene grabbed her hand, shook his head and looked up at the King. "Yes, I love her and I hope she feels the same way about me."

The King smiled. "Well, daughter? Is this the man you've been telling your mother and I about?"

Rapunzel stared back. "Yes it is, Father."

"Well, then, we've got some work to do."

"What about the ball?" Eugene asked.

"Oh, that." The King smiled. "We're not finished yet, Fitzherbert. It will go on as usual. You were told to come here early for a reason, but as I've said before, I can't reveal my sources. Now let's all go up to study and get ready for the ball. It begins in 10 minutes time."

XXXXXX

"Well," Elvira said, smiling as she materialized in front of Gabe. "Mission accomplished."

"Don't be so quick to leave, Elvira. You're still needed here. Michael and I have been notified by Joseph to return to our posts, but we're sending another angel down here to help you out, should you need it."

"Don't tell me," Elvira smiled. "It's your daughter, isn't it?"

Gabe smiled and nodded. "Yes, my adopted daughter, Honor, if you could call her that. She's grown now, Elvira. You wouldn't recognize her."

Elvira shook her head, remembering the little girl she used to sit for. Could that much time have passed already? Honor was only 6 when they she had came join them.

"She's here now," another female voice broke in.

Elvira looked up to see Michael and another woman walking toward them.

Honor ran to hug her father, then embraced Elvira. "You're right, Gabe, she was so small when you adopted her. I couldn't even imagine how much she's grown."

"I can't believe it myself, "Michael chimed in. "She's beautiful. Are you sure she could handle it."

Gabe smiled. "Well, you all know that when children are taken early, they are given the chance to grow to a certain age. She's managed quite well on her own. And those karate and kung fu lessons didn't go to waste either. She's 22 now and capable of helping Elvira with whatever she'll need."

Honor smiled and nodded.

"But I want you two to stay invisible from now on. No materializing except when needed. You understand me?"

The two females nodded.

"I'm sure everything will be fine," Elvira said. "The hardest part is over. Now all we need to do is control things from our end."

Michael looked from one to the other. "If you need us in any way…"

"We'll handle it," Honor said, giving him a peck on the cheek. "I'll see you later."

Gabe and Elvira stared at the two, but didn't say anything. At least, not yet.

XXXXX

At the stroke of 6, every suitor for the hand of Princess Rapunzel was let in. The eligible young bachelors waited anxiously for the princess to make her first appearance. Many of them milled around and made small talk. Not Flynn Rider, though. He was just waiting to make his move and move he would. That big shot Fitzherbert wouldn't get away with this. This was his party, his time and his kingdom. He was sure of that. The curse was no longer valid, he had his proof. He had touched the shoe and nothing happened except a mild shock.

Rider took a quick look around and noticed that the Stabbington boys were not included in the suitor bunch. Where the heck were they? They were pretty unreliable weren't they? This was the last time he would ever consider using them again; he couldn't even imagine how the two had made it this far without getting caught.

Rider shook his head. This wasn't going to stop him, no nothing was; not tonight. He would survive this and he would claim the Princess and the throne for his ancestors, this was what it was all about. This was his goal, his commitment, his baby.

And nothing was going to stop it.

XXXXX

The rest of the ticket holders were let inside a half hour later. Still no sign of the Princess Rapunzel and no sign of the King and Queen either. Everyone was waiting anxiously for something to happen as the small ensemble of musicians hired for the occasion began to tune up their instruments.

Elvira and Honor stood at the back, invisible as they had promised the Starz brothers they would. And they would only act if necessary. This night belonged to Eugene, Rapunzel and the King and Queen.

Everyone held their breath as the the members of the Royal family entered the throne room. Rapunzel took her proper place on the Queen's left. She turned to her father who began to silence the crowd.

He was about to make an announcement.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 17

Eugene joined Princess Rapunzel's many suitors about an hour later. He was told to be himself and to basically blend into the surroundings. The idea was that Eugene should dance as many dances as he could with Rapunzel, so that by the time the King's announcement of Rapunzel's choice would come naturally and with ease. It wasn't supposed to look like a set up, even though it was. The King needed this to look as naturally as possible.

The King was going to announce Rapunzel's choice at the stroke of midnight. All suitors still here would be told to leave. It was as simple and easy as that, at least that's what the King announced at the start of the ball anyway.

And so one by one, Rapunzel chose her bachelors wisely, letting everyone believe that she hadn't made up her mind yet. Everyone it seemed but Flynn Rider, who had entered with all the other eligible bachelors. Jeez, he even stood next to Eugene. He and Rapunzel made eye contact, but that was about it, Rapunzel ignored him for the next few dances anyway.

And so Eugene played along as did the rest of the Royal family, right up until the stroke of midnight; at which time he was sure that all heck would break that was the idea, wasn't it? Eugene would have to be ready for it all and ready he would be.

XXXXX

Elvira and Honor watched as the princess chose her suitors with care. Too much care, Honor thought as she avoided Rider again.

"Are you sure she's doing the right thing by not dancing with him?" Honor asked, frowning. "She should at least have one…"

Elvira cut her off. "She can't, there is a reason. It has to wait until midnight, Honor. You were there, you heard the whole thing."

Honor nodded. She was there, what had she been thinking? It was supposed to be this way, like it or not. She just didn't like or trust Flynn Rider and she hoped that she was wrong about the rest of the evening. She had promised Michael that she wouldn't materialize; even though she wanted to. She was going to be there when the sparks flew and that's when she'd be needed the most.

She looked around for Rider, just to see if he was on the dance floor, but there was no sight of him anywhere. She could see nothing, not even a glimpse of him.

That is until she looked over the edge of the ballroom where Rider was engaged in conversation with several of the bachelors. Honor hooked over at Elvira. She was smiling broadly, watching Eugene and Rapunzel dance. She didn't take her eyes of them for a second.

Honor watched them gliding along the ballroom floor and they never looked happier. She felt a pang of jealousy as she watched the two of them laughing and smiling in each other's arms. Suddenly, Michael popped into her head. She was hoping that he'd feel the same way Eugene felt about Rapunzel. After this was all over, she would work on that, prying him little by little away from Elvira.

Not that she really needed to. Michael wanted someone younger, someone vibrant than Elvira, besides which the woman was in love with her father. She vowed that if there was a happy ending here, there would be one for the four of them. She loved Elvira and had always wanted a mother, something she never had growing had.

Honor nodded her head and forced herself back into reality and the task at hand. Where was Flynn Rider and the guys? One minute he was talking with a group of suitors and the next he was gone.

She threw Elvira a look, but didn't want to disturb here. Still looking in her direction, Honor wandered off, hoping to find Flynn Rider before this whole situation got out of hand.

XXXXXX

Rapunzel was having a great time going from suitor to suitor. The men surrounded her like moths to a flame, trying to get her attention. But all she had eyes for was Eugene. There was something about him, something that had drawn her to him since he had picked her up and held her in his arms. Something about his voice and his face that made her dream of him while she was growing up. There was just something about him that she could shake off, something that drew her in. Maybe it was the danger of being with a thief, she didn't know, but all her efforts to get him to change had paid off.

And then there had Flynn Rider. Although the two looked alike, she knew instantly that he was no good for her. Rapunzel knew that this was not the man who saved her, no matter how many times he tried to convince her that he was. He just wasn't the calming presence that Eugene had been. When they touched each other; Flynn's hand was cold and distant while Eugene's was always warm and inviting.

She was intrigued with the stories that he was a witch's last surviving descendent, but she needed to see for herself. She wanted to see just what would happen at midnight when she finally would let him touch her hair. She wanted to see if her mother's predictions were true.

And Rapunzel was sure that she was right.

XXXXX

Honor was the only one who noticed the disappearance of the bachelors, Rapunzel made remarks to Eugene about it. It seemed as though most of them had disappeared along with Flynn Rider. Now she really didn't have to worry about who to choose because it seemed that Eugene was the only one left to dance with anyway.

"Where is everyone?" Eugene asked as the music stopped. He looked over at Rapunzel.

"I don't know," Rapunzel said, "First there were 10 of them and now there's none."

"And no Flynn Rider either," Eugene said as he heard the chapel bells toll on the half hour.

"It's eleven thirty," Eugene said, turning his attention to her. He smiled. "Your father is supposed to announce your choice…"

"At midnight," Rapunzel nodded, "but it's obvious who my choice is now."

Eugene nodded and grabbed her hand. "Come on, I could use some night air. It's getting stuffy in here anyway."

Rapunzel nodded. Maybe they could use some fresh air.

XXXXXXX

The King was watching the proceedings seated next to his wife on the dais. He wasn't much of a dancer anymore, but he had made a few rounds with his wife and even danced with his daughter. But now he was concerned. First Flynn Rider and the bachelors went missing, now Eugene and Rapunzel. Something was wrong.

He heard a commotion going on and looked over to his right where the entrance to the ballroom was. Seemed everyone was milling around there. One of the guards actually called him over.

And so, making his apologies to the Queen, strode over to find the Stabbington boys in custody. They weren't in chains yet and the King wondered why.

It was that moment that Flynn Rider happened to make his appearance, but where were the other bachelors?

'You," Sideburns called, pointing in Flynn's direction.

Everyone stopped what they were doing to listen; the Queen, Eugene and Rapunzel; even Elvira. That's when she noticed that Honor was gone.

"That's him," Sideburns called out, as tour guardsman placed the chains around their wrists. "That's the one who responsible, not us. We were dragged here."

And everyone watched as the Stabbington Brothers were dragged out of the castle ballroom.

The King heard the bell toll at the 45 minute mark. It was almost 12. He was going to have to make two announcements.

And probably arrest Flynnagan Rider in the process.

And where were the two angels that Michael and Gabe had promised? He hadn't seen them anywhere.

This wasn't going to be as easy as he first thought.


	19. Chapter 19

The story is winding down and I would like to thank all my readers, reviewers and everyone else who alerted this story and made it one of their favorites. This has been fun to write and I'm glad many of you stuck with it.

And now here's the next chapter.

Chapter 18

The entire ballroom had followed the Guards outside. The King turned to look at his wife who was still sitting on the dais only to notice that she was staring right back at him. What the heck was happening here?

"Maybe we should move this little engagement party outside," the Queen suggested, holding out her hand.

The King smiled and took her hand in his. "Well, I guess you're right, That's exactly what it's going to be in a few minutes, but where the heck are the other young men and who the heck am I going to announce it to? I mean…"

The Queen shook her head. "You can't worry about everything, my lord. Come, let's go join the others. You might even find the rest your daughter and future son-in-law there."

And the two looked at each other and, hand in hand, they joined the others outside on the South Balcony.

XXXXXX

Elvira stood by herself in the ballroom waiting for Honor to show up. She had no idea where she had disappeared to. She didn't want the younger angel to return to a completely empty ballroom, now did she? She lowered her eyes to the floor and shook her head. Where the heck was she?

"Pssst" she heard by the door. Elvira looked up and a smile lit up her face as she caught Honor by the door motioning for her to come join her on the balcony with everyone else.

"What are you doing?" Elvira said, "we're supposed to keep a low profile. Be as quiet as possible and no materializing, remember?"

Honor shook her head. "I think that Mike forgot the arrangement he made with the King and Queen. We are supposed to materialize as Ladies in Waiting to Rapunzel."

Elvira frowned. "And who the heck told you that? The last thing I heard…"

Honor smiled and pointed. "You're going to have to do something anyway, Elvira. I can feel it."

Elvira shook her head. "No. We're under orders. I'll watch and wait and we'll use our discretion when the time comes. You got it?"

Honor smiled and pulled her out the open back doors. This led out to a small garden and one of the two balconies. Honor pointed to the 10 bachelors who were now grouped in a circle around the King and Queen.

"Well," Elvira nodded. "It looks as though the King won't be making his announcement after all."

She saw Honor smile in her direction and she smiled back. Then her eyes wandered around the balcony for Eugene and Rapunzel.

She found the two of them alright, they were off by themselves in the darkness, but it also appeared someone was with them. It was someone who had a strong resemblance to Eugene Fitzherbert and could easily pass for his double.

And the two of them were involved in a heated argument, although Elvira and Honor could hardly hear what they were saying.

"Let's get up a bit closer," Honor encouraged as she grabbed Elvira by the arm. "You might not have to materialize after all."

XXXXXX

"Who the heck do you think you are, Rider, butting in like this. She belongs to me now; we just need the King and Queen to confirm it."

Rider smiled and shook his head. "You've got that wrong, Fitz, very wrong."

"I've wanted to meet her all my life and now that I finally…"

"Finally what?" Rider asked, looking in Rapunzel's direction. "I've got plans, FItz, I know what I have to do. It's all up here." He patted his head. "You know, the brain? Now why don't you listen to me and let her go before someone gets hurt."

Eugene smiled. "And who do you plan to hurt, Rider? You've never killed anyone in your life, have you? You're harmless like me. You'd never hurt a fly, you don't know how."

Rider shook his head and pulled a knife from his belt and brandished it at Eugene. "Let her go or else I swear I'll use it."

Eugene smiled and made a move for the knife, but stopped in mid movement. He looked around when he noticed that everything was dead quiet.

"Hand her over, Fitz," Rider said again, moving closer, still threatening him with the knife.

Eugene shook his head and took one look around. Every eye was on him and Eugene, even the Guards and even….

"Elvira," he whispered as she materialized before him. It was very very brief as if she was trying to tell him or show him something. He looked toward the King and Queen who were also staring straight at him.

As if on cue, the chapel bell inside the castle began to peal. It was almost 12 am.

One second passed by.

Eugene sighed and turned his attention toward Flynn Rider.

Then another.

"Alright," he said. "You want her, take her. She's all yours."

Now it was three.

Rider stared at him. "What?"

Four bells

"I told you to take her, Rider. She's all yours with my blessing."

Five

Rider smiled. He couldn't believe it. It was now his turn to look around the balcony.

Six.

He stared over at the King and Queen who just stared back at him without a movement or a response.

Seven.

He looked around the balcony again. Everyone was awaiting the outcome of this.

Eight.

Rider couldn't believe his luck. He turned his gaze toward Rapunzel.

Nine.

He held his hand out for her to take into her own.

Ten.

Rapunzel stared at Eugene, a look of confusion on her face, her green eyes wide with fear.

Eleven.

Eugene just smiled and grabbed Rapunzel's hand and placed it in Rider's.

Twelve.

It was done.

She was his now, to do with what he wanted. It was a cinch. He touched her and nothing happened. There was no curse, it was gone. The throne was his. Rider felt every bone in his body tingle. He shivered with excitement as he held their hands up in the air in triumph.


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

"It didn't work," Eugene said to no one in particular. He stared dumbfounded at Rapunzel. There was a mixture of fear and confusion in her eyes. He was in a complete state of shock. What could he do now, he just willingly handed his dream girl over to the enemy.

"It wasn't supposed to happen this way," Eugene said, speaking to the polished tile balcony floor. He shook his head and, suddenly remembering something, jerked it back up. He looked around for Elvira, but she had gone, disappeared again. He shrugged. Where was a fairy grandmother when you needed her?

XXXXXX

"It didn't work," Elvira said, looking over at Honor.

"I'm just as stumped as you are," Honor answered, as she shrugged her shoulders. "We might have to convince Mike and Gabe to…"

"Too late," Michael answered, "we're already here."

Gabe nodded. "We've still got the uniforms, I don't know how or why."

"Well, then let's make the most of them." Michael said, as they headed back into the empty ballroom.

Honor stared at Elvira and watched and waited.

XXXXX

"What the heck happened?" the King whispered to his wife. "Rider was supposed to…"

The Queen shook her head. "I haven't got the slightest idea. We all assumed…"

"And that's the word right there," the King answered, frowning. "We all expected Rider to up and turn to dust." He shook his head. "Well," he said, narrowing his eyes, "we won't be fooled again. This time I'm taking matters into my own hands."

XXXXXX

Flynn Rider couldn't believe it. "I'm alive," he whispered, shaking his head.

"I'M ALIVE," he said, giggling, staring around the balcony at all the shocked faces. He was still tingling and shivering all over, part of the excitement he guessed.

Rider was still in total shock. He raised their entwined hands higher in the air until another tingle ripped through his body, this time a bit stronger than last. It was so strong that Rapunzel ripped her hand away from his.

That was a signal for Eugene to reach out for Rapunzel. He pulled her back into her arms.

Rider stared at him, then tilted his head back and laughed hysterically.

"You gave her up, Fitzherbert. She's mine now."

He reached for her, but Eugene pulled her back. He shook his head.

"Not a chance, Rider," he answered, "not again."

XXXXXX

Elvira and Honor were watching the fight between Rider and Eugene. They were both fearful and surprised the way that Rapunzel was being bandied about like a leather ball.

"Where are they?" Elvira whispered, as she watched the two men arguing with one another. "This has to stop."

Honor shook her head and turned to look at her. "I really don't know."

"Well, I don't know about you," Elvira said, frowning. "But I'm going to help take the pressure off this situation."

She closed her eyes and began preparations when Honor stopped her and pointed to the double doors of the ballroom, which led out to the balcony.

"Look," she said, "it's Mike and Gabe."

Elvira turned and followed the direction that Honor's finger was pointing. She had to squint a bit, but she made out the faces under their helmets.

Smiling, she relaxed. It would all be over soon.

XXXXXX

It was the Queen who first heard the argument. She thought that it was loud and leaned over to see who it was. Well, at least Fitzherbert was doing something or trying anyway. That was more than she could say for any of the Guards and by the way, where the heck were they?

"You'd better do something, my love, before this gets out of hand."

The King nodded his head when he saw two guards with very familiar faces standing by the door.

"GUARDS," he shouted to the few he could see. "Arrest that man," he ordered, pointing to Flynn Rider. "Get him into the same cell as the Stabbington boys. We'll deal with the changes later."

XXXXXX

Rider couldn't stand much more of this. He reached out for her, but she was too far away.

No, this wasn't happening. This was his night, his ball.

And the Princess belonged to him.

He heard the King screaming about something, guards was the word, wasn't it? Rider saw him pointing at the open double doors leading from the ballroom to the outdoor balcony and his eyes opened wide.

They were coming to arrest him.

Flynn Rider shook his head. "No," he said, aloud. He wasn't just going to have his 15 minutes of fame. He was going for the big prize, the whole enchilada.

Flynn Rider panicked, all he was thinking about were the guards as they closed in. Suddenly he remembered that he was carrying a weapon, a knife as a matter of fact, hidden in his boot. He tried to reach for it, but it clattered to the floor.

Eugene tried to reach for it, but he had to let go of Rapunzel to do so. Rider saw his chance and grabbed Rapunzel by her hair. He pulled her toward him, as far away from Eugene as possible.

The tingling began again, stronger this time. It was so strong, he started to shake. Rapunzel tried to pull away, but Rider was holding on too tightly. It felt as though something was burning up inside of her, as if she had been struck by lightning. Rider started to shake more violently and so did Rapunzel

"Eugene," she screamed, "Do something."

Eugene couldn't do anything but watch. Rider was shaking so hard that his grasp on Rapunzel's hair loosened and he sank to his knees. He covered his face with his hands and screamed in pain.

Rapunzel, now away from Flynn Rider, watched as Rider fell on the tiles, his body still shaking. His skin and his hair turning white. That's when the shaking finally stopped.

All was still as Eugene bent down to make sure that Rider was gone. He placed his hand on Rider's heart and grabbed his arm to take Rider's pulse.

But as soon as he reached out to grab it, the body started to dry and shrivel up and Rider became nothing more than a mound of dust. The uniform was lying in a heap on the tiles.

The crowd gasped behind him.

Eugene had forgotten that he was on a balcony full of people. He looked up and scanned his surroundings. Rapunzel was looking down at him, tears in her eyes, but she was smiling. Her arm was outstretched to help him up.

Eugene reached out and grabbed it, pulling himself up; bringing him face to face with those large green pools.

"Rapunzel?" he asked as he cupped his hands around her cheeks. "Are you alright?"

She nodded. "Eugene," she breathed as she pulled him close. The two kissed one another, long and hard, as if they hadn't seen each other in years.

And the crowd cheered behind them, although the two of them couldn't hear a thing.


	21. Chapter 21

Epilogue

"Weren't we all here the night before last?" Gabe asked Mike as they stood in back of the ballroom enjoying the reception of Princess Rapunzel and Prince Eugene.

"We all were," Honor answered, pulling her new husband, Mike, toward her.

"But it wasn't such a happy occasion then," Elvira said, looking at Gabe who pulled her toward him. "It's going to be very hard to forget what happened here."

Mike shook his head. "I don't know guys; just look at the Royal family. It looks like they forgot all about it."

Gabe shook his head. "It wasn't the easiest thing to watch."

Mike nodded. "We had to admit him, you know, due to a technical glitch. You do know about that, don't you?"

Gabe smiled. "I gave him a deal, his ancestors are all up here. He gets to stay if he does community work. And Rider is willing to change."

Michael shrugged. "We'll just see about that one, Gabe. We have to keep tabs on him, that's why we shouldn't even be down here."

"It was my idea," Elvira said, "How many times does a fairy grandmother get to see her grandson become Prince of Corona, the greatest of all the Four Island Kingdoms."

"I do prefer Charon, Elvira," Honor said, "it's the most beautiful of all the Kingdoms and…"

"Yes, I know. You're spending your honeymoon there while Gabe and I sit in the office."

"Yes, but you'll be going after we get back," Honor answered, frowning angrily at her.

"Honor, this isn't the time or place," Elvira cautioned.

"Why not?" Honor shot back. "Who the heck can see us?"

"Ladies, take it easy," Mike said, "Just cool it. Besides, it looks as though someone can see us over there." He pointed at Eugene who was staring straight at them. He was turned in their direction while Rapunzel was wondering what the heck he was looking at.

"We gotta go, guys," Gabe said, "and get back to running the show upstairs."

Elvira smiled. "He knew we were back here, didn't he? And I didn't even materialize."

"Let's go guys," Mike said. "I think we've overstayed our welcome."

And with one last look, the couples disappeared.

XXXXXX

"That was a great reception," Eugene called out to his bride.

"The wedding wasn't too bad, either, Fitz." Rapunzel said, from behind the folding screen door. "I know that everyone had a great time, especially my parents."

Eugene nodded, removing first his trousers, then his vest, then his shirt. He wondered what was taking Rapunzel so long back there. Almost 10 minutes passed by, according to his new pocket watch, given to him as a wedding present by his new wife.

"Uh, Rapunzel, what's going on back there? According to this watch you…"

A squel of delight came from behind the door. "You're using it, Fitz. Did you catch the inscription?

Eugene frowned. "We can read that later, Rapunzel."

"I suppose we can," Rapunzel said, admiring herself in the mirror. She had to admit she looked great in her new see through negligee that she and her mother picked out.

She stepped out from behind the folding door to model for her new husband.

Eugene smiled.

"You are so beautiful, Rapunzel."

"You're no slouch yourself, Fitz," she whispered in his ear before pulling herself away.

"Hey I was just thinking about something," she whispered as Eugene moved in.

Eugene rolled his eyes and backed off. "What were you thinking of?"

"I can't believe what happened outside that ballroom two nights ago."

He smiled and shook his head. He walked closer and placed his hands on her shoulders. "That's all over with Rapunzel. I wouldn't worry about it right now."

Rapunzel shook her head. "I don't know, I just can't forget it like that. I mean, what if there are more relatives of Gothel out there, waiting to take over the entire kingdom."

Eugene laughed. "Rapunzel, listen. If they try to do anything at all like that, they'll meet the same fate as Flynn Rider, simple as that. Besides, I just don't believe that there's another relative out there. And if there is, well, we'll deal with it when we have to. We're strong, right?"

Rapunzel smiled. "I suppose you're right, Fitz," she whispered, looking at him. "What you say makes sense."

She pulled him toward her and kissed him on the lips, surprising him as she so often did lately. He just went with it and everything was forgotten.

XXXXX

ONE YEAR LATER

Elvira and Honor were sitting in the lobby of a beautiful new hotel that just opened on the beautiful island kingdom of Charon, where they were spending their wedding anniversary. It had been an inn just a few months ago, but through some generous clients, the inn grew and expanded. It was the first hotel of that type to open in all of the Four Kingdoms.

And the four couldn't have made a better choice. Gabe and Mike wanted something special for their ladies and had set up a fantastic party to celebrate. The two ladies were waiting for them to straighten out the bill.

It was the first time in a long time that Michael allowed them to pose as humans for a few nights, under their real names as well. No one would have an inkling of who they really were. They were chatting with the innkeeper, a short, balding man whose name was David.

"Excuse me," a voice behind them called. "I was looking for the innkeeper. Would you know where he might be?"

"I'm right here, Miss," David said, standing up. "May I help you in any way?"

The tall, woman with the long black curls nodded. "Yes, thank you so much. I was hoping you'd have a room. You see, this is first inn I've come to that isn't sold out."

"Well, it is brand new," David said, walking behind the counter and checked on the available rooms.

"Yes, here's one, Room 10 on the first floor. You'll be staying next to these folks," he pointed at Elvira and Honor who stood up. "There should be no problem. Now if you just sign here, Miss,"

"Gothel," the woman said, smiling. "Greta Gothel."

She signed the register and turned to her new neighbors. "Nice to make your acquaintance," she said, smiling at them. "And I hope we see each other upstairs."

With that, she turned and walked up the steps to the first floor.

Elvira and Honor stared after her, and then looked at one another.

"Oh, no," they said together, "Not again." They rushed off to find their husbands.

It was going to be a long night.


End file.
